Indiana Wesleyan University

Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template

Social Studies—2019
Student: School: Allen Elementary School
IWU Supervisor: Co-op Teacher:
Teaching Date: 11/08/2019 Grade Level: Kindergarten

LESSON RATIONALE
This lesson will introduce students to the differences between lifestyles of New England colonists compared to
the lifestyles we have today. Through these comparisons, students will see how things change over time.

READINESS
I. Goals/Objectives/Standard(s)
A. Goal: Students will understand that many years ago, long before they were born, life was different than
it is today.
Students will identify differences in clothing, transportation, technology, and other various ways
of life in the past.
Students will compare the differences of life in the past to life now.
B. Objective: Given the comparison between lifestyles of New England colonist and people of today,
students will be able to differentiate events from the past with the present
C. Standards: NCSS/ IAS:
NCSS: People, Places, and Environments
IAS: K.1.1 Compare children and families of today with those from the past.
II. Management Plan
a. Materials:
- Cut outs of then vs now
- Worksheet for assessment
- Anticipatory set video
- Lesson video
- Timer

b. Time:
- Anticipatory Set: 5 minutes
- Lesson: 15minutes
- Assessment: 10 minutes
- Closure: 5 minutes
- Total: 35 minutes

c. Space
- Students will start out on the carpet in their assigned square during the anticipatory set and
the video/instruction.
- Students will move to the carpet and create a U shape during the then vs now cut outs and the
closure.

d. Behavior
- Students are expected to be respectful, engaged, and following class rules throughout the
lesson.
- They are expected to participate by giving a natural response to the questions asked.
- If students don’t listen, they will be redirected with a verbal warning.
- If the behavior proceeds, they will be removed from where they are and sent back to their
seat.
 Indiana Wesleyan University
Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template
Social Studies—2019

III. Adaptation to Individual Differences and Diverse Learners—

a. Different shades of markers and crayons will be provided to represent different skin tones that
students can use to color their people for the worksheet. There are a variety of races present in
our classroom, and this will ensure that know they’re important and included.
b. If students finish their worksheet early they can go look at the cut outs on the carpet.
c. If students are struggling with the worksheet there will be a teacher (myself, Mrs. Snell, or Mrs.
Reeves) to answer questions.

PLAN FOR INSTRUCTION (CAEP K-6 1.b)

IV. Anticipatory Set
- Listen to good morning song
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcCAZOO9OBk&list=PLSEiI1LRNGFkOnci8laxgJpjoCTS
71nYM
- “I want you to think in your head about what you guys did before you came to school this morning.
What did you do to get ready? How did you get here? What type of clothes did you wear? What did you
eat?” Allow time for students to think. “Who can tell me what they did to get ready this morning?”
Allow students to share. “These are all things that many of us do each day before school.”
- “There are also things that we use every day. Can anyone tell me some things that you or your
parents/grandparents might use every day?” Guide their thinking by saying “Maybe you watch T.V
everyday”. Allow answers. “Yes, great answers! These are all things that we have and do every day!”

V. Purpose: “Today we are going to learn about the differences in our life compared to people who lived a
long-time ago before me or any of you guys were born. This is important because it shows us how much our
world has changed, and that it is still changing each day.”

VI. Lesson Presentation (Input/Output)

- Instruction:
- “We all have certain things that we do or use every day. For example, I use my computer to do my
homework (show), I also watch T.V, some of you may place video games, we clean ourselves by taking
a bath or a shower, I call or text my friends using my phones. However, people who lived a long time
ago, before you or I were born, did very different things than we do because they didn’t have T.V, or
video games, or showers, or cars. Isn’t that crazy? Let’s watch this video and I want you to notice things
like how they got to work, how they got water, what they used for light, and anything else you might
see.”
- Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-r-xHln6nE
- “There are a lot of things in the video that we do the same. We all have to get to work, we all need
water, we need light. But it was still very different. Can anybody tell me ways that our lives are different
now than they were back then?” Response + address each one with reasoning.
- “Now I want a quiet friend who raises their hand to tell me what the difference between "then" and
"now" is? These words are opposites, which means they are different. How are they different?” (take
student responses)
- Through discussion, I determine student understanding. To help them make personal connections with
the terms, I ask: “When you were a baby...was that "then" or "now?” Allow answer. “Very good! Then
is a word used to describe something that was from the past. Now is a word that is used to describe
something that is still happening or something that we are still using.”
 Indiana Wesleyan University
Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template
Social Studies—2019
- “I want you guys to think about how you got to school today… (response). People long ago traveled on
ships across water or rode horses to get places. Can you imagine riding a horse to school every morning?
- “They also had to hunt and fish for their food EVERY day. They couldn’t just go to the grocery store
and buy food like you might do with your mom or dad. They had to go out and hunt for it and then cook
it over a fire. They didn’t have a microwave to warm up their food. If they didn’t find anything when
they went hunting of fishing, they sometimes wouldn’t eat, and this would make them sick.”
- “How do you think they talked to other people? They didn’t have phones. They had to send letters in
the mail, and this would sometimes take a long time to get to the person they are sending it to. ‘
- “I bet some of you stay up late and play video games, but if you lived back then you would have to go to
bed when it got dark out because there were no lights. (show candle). They didn’t have T. V’s to watch,
or video games to play.”
- Show candle
- Now, we are going to go back to our seats in a little bit to work on this worksheet. So, pay attention on
how to do it so you know what to do when you get to your seats. We are going to look at each picture
and think about if it is a picture from the past or a picture now. Then if we decide it is a picture of now,
we are going to cross it out. But if it is a picture of then we are going to color it in using nice and neat
coloring.

 Check for understanding.

Following the assessment worksheet, I will engage students in a fun formative assessment on the carpet
by going though then and now pictures. I will stand in the front of the class and hold up a picture, if
students think it is something that people long ago would do they will go to the right side of the
classroom where Miss. Snell is standing. If they think it is what people would do now, they will go to
the left side of the classroom. This game combined with the paper assessment will show what students
are grasping the concept and what students don’t fully understand it. If students do not understand, then
after each sort I will explain what the right answer is and why.
“I want you guys to think in your head about each picture. And when I say go you will go to where you
think is the right choice. I want you to keep your hands to yourself, and not push or shove anybody. If
you can’t handle this than we can sit in our seats and you can give me a thumbs up or thumbs down.”
If they can’t handle this, students will get in a U shape and we will put cut outs in a then and now
column.

VII. Review learning outcomes / Closure –

“Would you guys rather live life long ago or as you are now?” Let students answer. “Living life long
ago was a lot harder. They had to build their own homes, hunt their own food to eat every day, ride
horses even through the winter which made their trips to places a lot longer, and had a lot of chores
to do every day. They didn’t have much time to play games. Remember earlier when we talked about
our mornings? Let’s think about things people long ago would have to do in the morning.”
 Get water
 Warm up food over a fire
 Use a candle to see
 Go to the river to wash up

PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT

Formative: The students will engage in a game where they act as people who lived long ago, if a card is shown
that is from the past, they will go to the right side of the classroom. If it is from now, they will go to the left
side. (they do not know right or left, so I will clearly explain and mark corners)
 Indiana Wesleyan University
Elementary Education Lesson Plan Template
Social Studies—2019
Summative: Students will be tested over this at the end of the unit.

REFLECTION AND POST-LESSON ANALYSIS

(CAEP K-6 3.b)
1. How many students achieved the lesson objective(s)? For those who did not, why not?
a. Most students achieved lesson objectives. Those who did not were ones who have trouble
sitting on the carpet and listening and since this lesson was primarily on the carpet it was
harder to grab their attention for the time period.
2. What were my strengths and weaknesses?
a. I ensured that students were not messing with each other or talking over me during the lesson. I
stayed in a good time limit. In the beginning, my thoughts were a little jumbled due to a
technology issue, so I could have created a backup plan for that. I should have created more
things to do for the assessment for early finishers.
3. How should I alter this lesson?
a. If I were to do this lesson again, I would have a laminated chart with magnetic pieces rather
than just pieces of paper. Students could do this is they finish early with the assessment paper. I
would also find a more intriguing video or activity for them to do before I begin the lesson.
4. How would I pace it differently?
a. I would add more time to the activity and lesson time on the instruction. I would also divide
students up rather than having a whole class discussion for the whole lesson.
5. Were all students actively participating? If not, why not?
a. All of the students were actively participating and interested to learn.
6. What adjustments did I make to reach varied learning styles and ability levels?
a. I made sure the assessment was something all students were able to do. I demonstrated how to
do the assessment before sending them off.
7. What are different assessments that could be given?
a. I could have created a chart as a whole group and had them give me picture of what to draw in
for then and what to draw in for now.
b. I could have multiple different charts and divide them into groups and have them sort through
the picture putting them into the correct column.
8. How would I do transitions differently?
a. I would call them by rows rather than who’s sitting quietly.